Characters gain depth in musical version of 'An Officer and a Gentleman'

Mia Massaro had never seen the film "An Officer and a Gentleman" before she was cast as Paula Pokrifki in the U.S. touring production of the musical adaptation that American Theatre Guild presents June 3 to 5 at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.

But now, after 20 weeks on the road as the character played by Debra Winger opposite Richard Gere as Zack Mayo in the 1982 film, she holds the same love for the story that many audiences have for years.

“What’s great about our show is we are able to retell this story that people know so well in a completely different way,” Massaro says.

Not only does this show retell the film's story in a different way, it also differs from the two previous stage musical versions of "An Officer and a Gentleman," from 2012 in Australia and 2018 in England, with different music and a new script.

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“We are adding ’80s pop songs and even developing the characters a little bit more than they do in the movie, so we get to know these people and go deeper into the story than what the movie does," Massaro says. "They’re getting what they know and love … but we learn so much more through the musical.”

Unearthing characters

Although the story is fundamentally the same, following Zack, a soldier determined to fly planes in the Navy who unexpectedly falls in love with Paula, Massaro has been able to dig deeper into the factory worker's motivations.

“Paula has a whole backstory, and she wants to become a lawyer,” she says. “She wants to … get out of Providence and move out of her house. She wants to have a career and we learn about her … which we don’t get in the movie.”

Massaro relates to the character’s feisty and sarcastic nature, which aligns with her own stubbornness and humor, while also representing deeper emotions, such as the tenderness and strong will of Paula.

“She has these moments of strong independence,” she says, “but that gets stripped away in moments where she gets to be very empathetic and sympathetic. … She’s a huge heart in the show, and I love to play that every night.”

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But Paula also shortchanges herself when she decides to become a paralegal rather than pursue her real dream of becoming a lawyer.

"Zack wonders why she doesn’t just become a lawyer and (asks), ‘Why can’t you reach the highest star? Why can’t you get the highest goal?’" Massaro says. "No one has ever said that to her before, so he does open her eyes in a way and believes in her like no one else has before.”

What the musical has to say in 2022

Massaro applauds the writer and director of the musical, Dick Scanlan, for these improvements to the story, as well as others.

Sid, a fellow officer candidate and friend of Zack's, has been changed from white to Black, for example. That allows the musical to explore his now-interracial relationship with Paula's friend Lynette within the setting of the 1980s.

The story also examines the stereotype of women who seek to marry for status or who trap men into marrying them by feigning pregnancy.

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However, Massaro says, that in the setting of the movie, it was one of the only options women had when equal pay and work opportunities were limited.

“With gender roles in this, we do a better job about giving these women a voice, while in the movie, the women don’t …” she says. “They just go along with what the men are doing. These women have a life and a story of their own, which, I think, in 2022 is way more relevant.”

Return of music from the last century

The musical incorporates these unheard voices through the use of the arrangements by Dan Lipton.

“He used classic ’80s songs that are nostalgic but move the story forward in ways we could never imagine,” Massaro says.

Opening with “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood, then utilizing classics such as “I Can’t Hold Back” and “Renegade,” the songs explain the inner conflicts of the characters, especially with the use of the main song from the movie, “Up Where We Belong.”

“It works in a way where these characters at this point in the show are struggling,” Massaro says. “They are struggling to meet eye to eye and really open up to each other. ‘Up Where We Belong’ allows that moment for them to strip the walls and let each other in.”

What audiences can look forward to

Massaro says the audience can expect the show to highlight the love story, the military drama and heart-warming moments.

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Although she implores audiences to appreciate the athleticism and technical aspects of the show, she wants the heart of the musical to be the main takeaway.

"It's telling a story of unrequited love and how you manage the challenges that come with that every day," she says. "It gives a voice to people that feel like they were never set up for success, but by working hard and being open and honest about who you are and what you need, it really translates well. These characters need each other to succeed.”

Onstage

• What: American Theatre Guild presents “An Officer and a Gentleman”

• When: 8 p.m. June 3 and 4 and 2 p.m. June 4 and 5

• Where: Morris Performing Arts Center, 211 N. Michigan St., South Bend

• Cost: $133.50-$38.50

• For more information: Call 574-235-9190 or visit morriscenter.org.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: American Theatre Guild brings 'An Officer and a Gentleman' to South Bend